The currently existing related art involves several apparatuses and methods for cleaning and drying medical equipment, such as respiratory equipment and accessories, e.g., masks, masks having nasal interfaces, masks having nasal prongs, and full face masks, filters, and CPAP humidifiers. As background, “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” (CPAP) is an effective treatment for a condition known as “obstructive sleep apnea,” chronic snoring, and other sleep disorders in the related art. CPAP therapy is applied during sleep, wherein a patient wears a facemask which is in gaseous communication with a pump, e.g., a “CPAP” or “CPAP machine,” as known in the medical field. The pump forces air into the nasal passages of the patient at pressures high enough to overcome any obstructions in the airway, thereby stimulating normal breathing. The pressure, which is delivered into an upper airway, is continuous during both inspiration as well as expiration.
Further, because the airflow from the CPAP machine is delivered through a mask that fits on the face and covers either both the nose and the mouth or just the nose, such masks are typically cleaned and dried to prevent the growth of unwanted organisms which tend to culture in the presence of moisture. This circumstance can lead to infection of the patient's respiratory tract if the CPAP equipment is not properly cleaned and dried. The oils from the patient's skin and the minerals in tap water can cause premature breakdown in the CPAP equipment as well as creating an environment conducive to bacterial growth, especially in the mask. Typically, the CPAP equipment is merely dried by hanging the equipment in the open air away from direct sunlight to minimize the possibility of UV-degradation of the materials.
However, the common problem with the foregoing related art apparatuses and methods is that they require too much time to dry the CPAP equipment and do not dry the equipment thoroughly. In addition, open-air drying may introduce yet new organisms, e.g., those that are air-born onto and into the slowly drying equipment. Thus, a long-felt need is seen to exist for a device and a method for drying CPAP equipment which decreases the drying time as well as increases the drying effectiveness.